Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Blacksburg, VA

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620 FXUS61 KRNK 272321 AFDRNK Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 721 PM EDT Thu Jun 27 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A weak front will slowly track south through the Mid Atlantic and Carolina states through Friday and result in showers and perhaps thunderstorms through Friday. Another front with thunderstorms comes across the region Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will remain high through the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
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As of 715 PM EDT Thursday... Shower activity this evening is just south of the VA/NC border. These showers will continue to fade as the sun sets this evening. Look ahead to tomorrow, a surface high moves further east to just off the New England coast. This will enhance return flow from the Gulf Stream, and enable upslope from the east side of the mountains. Have included chance PoPs for most of the CWA, especially the southern Blue Ridge and mountains of far southwestern VA. Temperatures Friday will be slightly above normal, still in the 80s for most, but should hopefully avoid the 90s as we lack a stout sub tropical ridge.
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&& .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
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As of 130 PM EDT Thursday... Key Messages: 1. Hot and humid Saturday and Sunday, with heat indices near 100 possible. 2. Showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon into Sunday. Ridging aloft builds over the southeastern US through the weekend, while an upper trough digs into the Great Lakes and heads eastward, bringing an associated surface frontal system through the northeast. Surface high pressure centered over the northeast will move offshore through Saturday, and south/southwesterly flow around the high will advect plenty of moisture into the area from the Gulf. Prefrontal showers and thunderstorms are possible early Saturday with the warm front lifting through the region. As instability increases through the day, storms may become more widespread, though convection earlier in the day may impact the coverage of the afternoon storms, and storm activity should wane overnight. The cold front itself reaches the area sometime Sunday, bringing another round of showers and thunderstorms, though there is still a degree of uncertainty in the specific timing details, though it looks to be Sunday afternoon and evening at this time. Better forcing and deep layer shear Sunday suggest more organized convection and potential for severe storms. Ensemble forecast soundings have inverted V profiles, and forecast DCAPE near 1000 J/kg, suggest damaging winds as the primary threat. There is a marginal risk for flooding due to excessive rainfall with the plentiful atmospheric moisture.
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&& .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
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As of 130 PM Thursday... Key Messages: 1. Drier and cooler weather for Monday and Tuesday. 2. Temperatures start increasing trend by Wednesday. 3. Hot temperatures possible for Independence Day. Behind the frontal passage on Sunday, high pressure builds into the region to begin the work week, and a cooler and drier airmass settles into the area, keeping the weather drier and quiet for Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will be cooler relative to the weekend, but still near seasonal normals. The surface high slides eastward across the northeast through Wednesday, and southwesterly return flow will start temperatures on a warming trend for midweek as ridging aloft builds over the southeastern states. The next cold front heads into the Midwest by midweek, and looks to reach the Mid Atlantic by late Wednesday or early Thursday. Southwesterly flow will bring moisture and warmer air up into the area from the Gulf, and high temperatures look to reach back into the upper 80s and low 90s by Independence Day.
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&& .AVIATION /23Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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As of 720 PM EDT Thursday... Shower activity this evening is just south of the VA/NC border. These showers will continue to fade as the sun sets this evening. Some clearing is expected tonight, allowing MVFR fog to develop, especially in the NW NC mountains and foothills. High pressure wedges south into the Carolinas on Friday. Flow becomes southeasterly in the afternoon as the center of the high drifts off the Mid Atlantic coast. Flow riding up the NW NC mountains may trigger a few showers in the afternoon/evening. The rest of the area should remain dry. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK... A greater coverage of thunderstorms and associated MVFR flight conditions, is expected along and ahead of a cold front on Saturday and Sunday. Monday is expected to be drier and VFR, with a majority of the showers and thunderstorms south of the region.
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&& .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...BMG/VFJ NEAR TERM...RCS/VFJ SHORT TERM...AS LONG TERM...AS AVIATION...RCS/VFJ